nJuly 17
nPresident Truman
at Potsdam writes in his diary, “Just spend [sic] a couple of hours
with Stalin…. He’ll be in the Jap
War on August 15th. Fini
Japs when that comes about.”
nJuly 21
nPresident Truman
approves order for atomic bombs to be used
nJuly 23
nUK Prime Minister
Winston Churchill remarks, “[I]t is quite
clear that the United States do not at the present time desire Russian participation in
the war against Japan.”
nJuly 24
nWalter Brown,
special assistant to Secretary of State Byrnes, writes in his
journal that Byrnes was now “hoping for time, believing after
atomic bomb Japan will surrender and Russia will not get in so much
on the kill, thereby being in a position to press claims against
China.”